Coast Guard medevacs injured mariner near Southwest Pass

The Coast Guard prepares to medevac a mariner who reportedly suffered a head injury. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

NEW ORLEANS – A Coast Guard helicopter rescue crew medevaced a man south of Southwest Pass, at around 12 p.m., Tuesday.

The crew of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans was dispatched approximately four miles south of Southwest Pass to pick up a mariner who had reportedly suffered a head injury.

The helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer into the water, and the swimmer climbed into the boat to assist the injured man.

The rescue swimmer prepared the man and the helicopter crew hoisted the man aboard, and then flew him directly to EMS at West Jefferson Medical Center.

During the medevac, the offshore supply vessel Odessey Titan positioned themselves upwind of the sailboat to minimize wind and wave impact on the vessel.

A Coast Guard Station Venice smallboat rescue crew arrived on scene and brought the other sailboat passenger aboard. The smallboat crew took the vessel in tow.